“Ask Max.”
I hadn’t seen the little shit yet or figured out what the hell I was going to say to him.
“Do I even want to know?” He let out an exasperated sigh.
My fingers curled into the covers as I weighed up my options. I could try to handle Max myself, but risk Sabrina’s wrath. Or I could own up to my father and hope he dealt with his treacherous loose-lipped son.
“He told some people… about Albany Hills.”
Anger rippled across his features. Michael Rowe was an imposing man. Tall with broad shoulders and a good physique thanks to his regimented workout routine and Mrs. Beaker’s healthy cooking. His hair was dark like mine, our eyes and dimple the same. But his expression was always one of cold composure. I guess you didn’t become one of the richest men in Hudson Valley through smiles, charm, and a kind heart.
“He did what?”
“Yep.” I popped the P. “So as you can imagine, my classmates loved grilling me about that. Me and a girl got into it and Ms. Holland called me out on it, so I bailed.”
“I see.” He ran a hand over his neatly trimmed whiskers. “Still, I can’t have you skipping out on class, it doesn’t give off the right impression. I pulled a lot of strings to get you into DA.”
Like registering me as Harleigh Rowe instead of Maguire.
Incredulous laughter bubbled in my throat, but I smothered it. I should have known, of course he would care more about the optics of me cutting class than the fact people knew the truth.
“That’s it?” I asked as calmly as possible.
“I’ll talk to Max, but I suppose the truth would have come out eventually. Please just… don’t do anything stupid.”
“As opposed to what exactly?”
“We knew it was going to be hard, Harleigh.” He pursed his lips. “But you can do this. You can assimilate into DA and have a productive senior year.”
“I’ll get right on that.” I rolled my eyes in disgust, and he blew out a long, steady breath.
Did the man ever lose his cool?
“You’re taking your medication?”
“What kind of question is that?” I snapped. “Of course I’m taking it.”
I couldn’t function without it.
“Sorry.” He held up his hands. “That was an insensitive thing to say. I’m just…” A sigh rumbled through him. “This is still new, for all of us.”
Still new?
It had been nine months, not that I was counting. But I supposed I had been exiled for most of them.
“Are we done here?” I said. “I need to get ready for school.” And try to shake off my awful hangover.
“Yes, okay. I’ll make sure Max is punished.”
I almost snorted. Like Max was ever punished for anything. And even if he was, he didn’t listen.
Michael went to leave, but paused at the door, glancing back at me. “Harleigh, I know I haven’t always done right by you, but I really am trying.”
He said the words, but all I heard was, ‘she’s gone and she isn’t coming back.’ Because if Mom was alive, I wouldn’t be stuck in this hellish place. I’d still be in The Row. And yeah, maybe life was hard there. Maybe every day felt like trudging up a mountain with no peak in sight. But it was better than this… this world built on falsities and riches.
Michael lingered, waiting for an answer.
But the bitter truth was, I couldn’t give him one.